I am circus trainer with a background of speech and drama studies from Waldorf college. I have taught circus for many years and found social circus as an intriguing and great tool for community building and reaching new people. My business idea focuses on developing a social circus and storytelling company that combines circus arts, theatre, and creative education to promote confidence-building and social inclusion.
I discovered the EYE program through a colleague and saw it as a great opportunity for learning how to manage and build creative business, gain practical experience, build international connections, and develop my entrepreneurial skills, including marketing and media skills.
My Host is one of the biggest circus schools in the Canary Islands offering classes from kids to adults. They also have social circus projects and events to exchange knowledge, share creative practices, and explore new approaches to artistic collaboration.
During my EYE stay I joined my Host’s weekly administrative and marketing meetings , where I learned how a small cultural organization operates. I was also involved in writing grant applications, client meetings and community events, where we had open workshops. In the circus school I was assisting in classes, exchanging social circus methodologies with other teachers and learning how different circus disciplines can be adapted for diverse audiences.
By helping my Host in organizing meetings between different associations and circus professionals, I was able to build connections across the Canary Islands, and also had an opportunity to participate in a conference, where circus artist and local associations across Spain came to discuss the new law of art education and its impact on their future activities.
The relationship with my host was very good and I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work and learn together with them as well as the trust they have shown to me.
During my EYE exchange I gained valuable experience in event coordination and project management. Furthermore, I improved my communication and marketing skills, when contributing to the company’s social media visibility, which allows me to have clearer communication strategy for my future company. My Spanish and intercultural communication abilities grew, helping me to work more effectively in multilingual settings. I also deepened my knowledge of how creative and educational organizations operate with a need for balancing artistic goals with social and financial sustainability.
Eventually the most useful experience for me was to participate in a summer program at a local youth detention center, where we offered circus workshops to the youngsters. Seeing how circus can motivate participants to work towards a common goal, channel their energy and frustration into something physical, and experience a sense of achievement further built my confidence that I am on the right path.
The EYE experience strengthened my vision and showed me what it takes to run a socially beneficial and sustainable creative business, how to adapt it to diverse communities and participants as well as to collaborate across different cultures.